How Much Does Property Management Cost in Boston? Fees Explained

One of the first questions every Boston landlord asks us is simple: what does property management actually cost? The honest answer is it depends on your property, but the fee structure itself shouldn’t be a mystery. Here’s how it breaks down.

The standard fee model

Most Boston-area property managers, us included, charge a percentage of monthly collected rent, typically in the 8-10% range, plus a separate leasing fee when a unit turns over (often equal to one month’s rent, split with any outside broker). You’ll also see one-off charges for things like eviction coordination or major renovation oversight, since those pull hours well beyond day-to-day management.

What you should NOT see: a flat “management fee” with no explanation of what it covers, or a contract that charges you the same whether the unit is occupied or sitting vacant. If a unit isn’t rented, we’re not collecting rent, and you shouldn’t be paying us as if it were.

What’s usually included

• Rent collection and monthly owner statements
• Tenant screening and lease execution
• 24/7 maintenance coordination
• Routine inspections
• Handling tenant communication and disputes

What’s usually billed separately

• Eviction filing and court coordination
• Major repairs or capital projects (management typically takes a small oversight fee on the contractor invoice)
• Leasing/tenant placement on a new vacancy

Why “cheapest” is the wrong question

We’ve taken over properties from landlords who picked the lowest percentage fee and paid for it later, in late maintenance responses, sloppy tenant screening, or a management company that just didn’t pick up the phone. In Greater Boston specifically, where rents are high and the cost of a bad tenant or a slow repair is real money, the fee percentage matters less than what’s actually behind it: how fast maintenance gets handled, how thorough screening is, and whether you can reach a real person.

If you’re comparing quotes, ask each company to walk you through exactly what’s in the base fee and what isn’t. A company that can’t answer that clearly in one conversation is telling you something.

Want a straight answer on what management would cost for your specific property? Reach out to Green Ocean Property Management and we’ll walk you through it, no pressure, no hidden line items.